Brake for child s carriage



(No Model.)

G. W. & A. A. HODGES.

BRAKE FOR GHILDS CARRIAGE No. 322721. Patented July 21, 1885.

OFFICE.

GEORGE W... HODGEs AND ALICE A. HODGES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BRAKE FOR CHILDS CARRIAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 322,721, dated July 21, 1885.

Application filed Junel'l. 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. HODGES and ALICE A. HODGES, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Childrens Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved brake for childrens carriages. The object is to provide a brake which shall bear against the rim of the wheels and be applied by a spring and released by the same handle which serves for pushing the carriage, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top View of a running-gear of a childs carriage, showing the improved brake. Fig. 2 is a' detail view of the combined push and brake handle. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the carriage.

The letter A designates the front wheels, B the back wheels, 0 the back axle, and D the two horizontal reaches which connect the front and back axles and turn upward at the rear of the body to form the push-bars D. The push-bars are stayed or braced by crossrods g. All of these parts are of ordinary or well-known construction. The brake-shoes e are in position to bear against the front of the wheel-rims, and are attached to a crossbar, F, which rests in two slide-bearings, g, one attached to the lower side of each horizontal reach D. This cross-bar, therefore, has movement sidewise in its bearings. A spiral spring, h, has one end connected with the cross-bar F and the other with the rear axle, G, and the effect of this spring normally is to draw back on the cross-bar and apply the brake-shoes to the wheels.

A rod, I, has two branches, 1, which are attached to the cross-bar F, and the rod extends from the said two branches between the two side push-bars, D, to the push-handle K, to which ,it is rigidly attached. A keeper, l, on the top of the rear axle confines the rod from lateral movement, and serves also as a guide for it when moving endwise. The push-handle K has two eyes or holes, a,

each of which is loosely occupied by the end of one of the said push-bars D, and thereby the said push-handle hasa limited movement independent of said push-bars. Each pushbar is provided with a hand-grasp, p, which projects laterally, the one toward the other, as seen in Fig. l. The hand-grasp consists of two arms at right angles to each other. One arm, 1), is secured to the push-bar, while the other arm, 1), projects laterally at a right angle with respect to the push-bar.

When the brake is applied, the push-handle K is moved by the action of the spring away from or just back of the hand-grasps, but remains sufficiently near them to enable a persons hand to take over both the handle and hand-grasp. In this way the push-handle may be moved forward to release -the brakeshoes from the wheel rims. The grasps p serve the purpose just described, and also serve as stops to limit the forward movement of the push-handle. By this construction and arrangement of the brake, the rod I, and handle K, the latter serves the combined purpose of a pusher for the carriage and a release for the brake.

In the present instance the cross-bar F is straight, and the brake-shoes attached to it bear against the wheel-rim on a plane level with the wheel -hub; but it is obvious that each end of the cross-bar may curve down or curve up, so as to bring the brake-shoes e in contact with the wheel rim at a lower or higher point than that shown in the drawings. Such position of the brake-shoes would be necessary in those carriages that have the front and back wheels close together and in line so as to track.

It will be seen that when pressure is With- ,drawn from the pusher-handle K the brakeshoes 6 are at once applied to the wheel-rim by the tension of the spring h, and by the action of the brake-shoes the carriage will be stopped without giving it a sudden jerk.

A brake device of this kind is useful in preventing accident to a child left in a carriage unattended.

Having described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A pressure-brake for a childs carriage, having in combination the horizontal reaches ing two eyes, 92, each of which is'loosely v occupied by'one of said push-bars, and a rod,

I, extending from the said cross-bar to the :5 handle, as set forth.

I In testimony whereof we affix our signatures l in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. W. HODGES. ALICE A. HODGES.

Witnesses:

J NO. T. MADDOX, J OHN E. MoRRIs. 

